“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” –– George Eliot, in her letter of Oct., 1841
Successive autumns, and never will winter come. What a marvellous thought! Just yesterday, we had our first snow, icy reminder for what’s to come. But the forecast is that we’ll get back to some warmer, seasonal autumn air in the coming week.
I like to dwell on those sunny days of fall. We don’t have many red leaves here, but the rusty and golden hue all around the pond is enticing and fresh.
Many birds have migrated south. So, I was surprised and delighted to see this one still lingering …
A Great Blue Heron in this part of the Pond by late October is rare. Like Proust’s madeleine dipped in tea, serendipitous sightings like this can last through many winters as fond memories conjure up during the shut-in, wintry days.
And with this little Proustian teaser, I’m dropping a hint of what’s to come on Ripple Effects in November. Stay tuned.
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Ripple Effects 
It never occurred to me to think of autumn without red, but gold is
just as evocative.
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We don’t have maple trees here in Alberta, well, not the ones that add the reds in an autumn scene. But we have shades of gold, which is no less stunning. If you like, I’ve a post here which shows you what our fall colours are like… pure gold. 🙂
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Beautiful photos! I used to live in the GTA region in Canada and the Niagara Parkway was my favourite place to go for a walk in autumn weather . . . the serenity of the Niagara river and the rich colours of the leaves were always the perfect fall combination for me. Miss the autumns, but not the winters! 😉 Stay warm and well!
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So glad to have someone who has had Canadian living experience to visit the Pond here. I live in Alberta, but go to Toronto once or twice every year. Ontario is a province which I’d love to explore more. You can scroll down to a few previous posts to see my Burlington birding experience and the monarch butterflies I saw during my September visit there. BTW, where are you living now?
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My best friend is from Alberta (the Red Deer area!) but I’ve yet to visit there myself. I’ve always wanted to see the Stampede, like a true tourist. 😉 As for Ontario, I think Burlington is a lovely place too! I quite enjoy the city, although I’ll admit I never paid much attention to the nature there.
I live in Lisbon, Portugal now. I’m Portuguese-Canadian, so I finished my education and then moved here.
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Happy to read things will return to autumn for a while for you. Your photos are so lovely. Great captures of the Blue Heron straggler. I’ll make sure not to take for granted our Fall Red along with the golden and browns!
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Your heron is beautiful. I haven’t seen Harry lately and not sure if it is timing or he has left for the season. I love the golds. There is something so rich and vibrant about them. Your territory is gorgeous and I’m so glad you are sharing it with us!
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The Pond is looking lovely in her autumnal splendor!
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That was last week. Today I went there it was so cold, no leaves on the trees now, and scattered snow on the ground. Quiet and desolate. So glad I captured the GBH before it flies south, a serendipitous sighting indeed.
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How quickly the view changes.
And yes, I did catch your Proustian hint 😀
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Not very quickly. I just checked, I finished The G. Way in 2018, and that was four years ago. Fact is, I have that whole box set of six volume In Search of Lost Time sitting there at home by the staircase which I pass by many times a day, and I was thinking, what a waste of my money if I didn’t finish it. 😆
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I’ve never come across that wonderful quotation. Like you, I love autumn, and wish it could linger a bit. Of course, I wish ours was more prototypically colorful, but just now the weather is perfect and there’s goldenrod galore, so we’re happy.
The photo of the heron with a lifted foot is wonderful. It’s a very nice catch!
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Very intriguing 🙂
Oh, I love autumn, I would do the same as Geroge Eliot! (I don’t mind the winter, though! :))
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Why does it seem like just the other day that you were talking about spring and green things?? Love your golden collage.
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That was three months ago. We’re expecting snow this week. I bet your garden is still blooming with colours. 😉
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